Typing Accents the easy way... Really!

I love twitter. I always learn so much. Today I learned something from @LouisSulek via
@sylviaduckworth. Louis Sulek was kind enough to post instructions on how to easily type accents. This is something I thought I had a handle on but I just discovered that I have been doing things the hard way when it comes to typing accents in my french documents. I usually use alt keys or the French keyboard setting on my computer but I just learned that you can type both English and French texts using the same keyboard. It is called the United States- International keyboard.

Sounds good? Well here is what I leaned. Here are instructions for doing it in Windows 7:

So first you need to add the United States- International Keyboard to your computer.

1) Go to start.
2) Control Panel
3) Region and Language

4) Keyboard and Languages

5)Change keyboards....

6) Add

7)Under the English (United States) section find: United States International and select the check box.

8) Select Okay
9) Then make English(United States) United Sates- International your default keyboard by selecting it from the drop down list.

For instructions for XP see the original article that Louis wrote here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PoqDvelLmftimSQ3nZMWyFsmHUKhN_9wRv11TFhyOmA/edit

To type: é = ‘ (close to the enter key) then e
To type è= ` key (left of 1) then e
Follow the same directions but substitute correct letter to get à

To type ê use shift-6 followed by e

To type ç use ‘ (close to the enter key) then c
To type ö shift-’ followed by o

To do capital letters follow instructions above but press shift key between the symbol and the letter.

I am so excited about this I had to share. I am looking forward to trying this keyboard with my grade 1's. So much less complicated. When I did typing activities with my students I often purposefully chose activities without accents or got then to write the accents in after. No more of that! :)

So today I learned how to use the United States International Keyboard. Do you have any great time saving tips for typing in French? Any great resources you use?

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